Tamil Nadu

A 37-year-old man collapsed at a rally of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) in Salem, Tamil Nadu, on Friday and died while being taken to hospital, police said.

The man, identified as Suraj, a native of Maharashtra who was residing in Salem, complained of chest pain and fainted while waiting at the rally venue addressed by TVK chief Vijay. He was immediately rushed in an ambulance to a private hospital, where doctors declared him brought dead, a police official said.

Police claimed that Suraj had earlier undergone angioplasty and was a heart patient. A case has been registered and further investigation is underway.

According to officials, the incident occurred even before Vijay arrived for the district functionaries’ meeting. People near Suraj initially tried to revive him before shifting him to hospital. A preliminary inquiry by a team from the Annadhanapatti police station confirmed his medical history.

This is the first reported casualty at a TVK rally since the tragic stampede at Karur on September 27, 2025, which claimed 41 lives.

Reacting to the incident, BJP youth wing leader Vinoj P Selvam criticised the TVK, alleging lack of concern for the safety of its cadres. “It would not have mattered if it happened inadvertently for the first time. But the mistake is recurring,” he said in a post on X.

DMK spokesperson A Saravanan, also on X, questioned how many more lives would be lost before the Assembly elections, alleging that there were no adequate arrangements such as shelter or drinking water at the rally venue.

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Meanwhile, a source in the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam said the party had already appealed to its cadres and members of the public suffering from health issues to refrain from attending the meeting.